ADL Reiterates Call On Cuba To Release American Subcontractor

New York, NY, August 5, 2011 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed disappointment that Cuba's Supreme Court upheld a 15-year sentence for Alan Gross, and reiterated its call on the Cuban government to release him on humanitarian grounds.

Mr. Gross, an American subcontractor on a U.S. Agency for International Development program and an active member of the Jewish community in Maryland, was arrested in late 2009 and found guilty of "subversion." Mr. Gross has denied all charges against him. His family reports that his health has severely deteriorated during his incarceration.

"We call on the Cuban Government to release Mr. Gross immediately on humanitarian grounds and as a gesture of good will to the American people," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "We further urge international leaders who maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba to encourage President Raul Castro to release him."

ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.